Dark Hurricane
by Stormecho
Summary: The connection of the wells runs deeper than anyone can guess. A mistake made by legendaries - a second Suicune - wanders into a tale of time, and it only gets more complicated as the familiar threads of different worlds strangle her.
1. Prologue

**Dark Hurricane**

**Warning: **The main character of this is an OC, and _this_ is a massive crossover. I have taken every Mary Sue test I can get my hands on, so I really, really doubt that she is a Mary Sue. In the case that she becomes one, I will delete this and start over again to prevent any prolonged suffering. Many people avoid crossovers because they are random, and many don't work. I'm trying to make this one make at least some sense, so I do believe it might be different than your average one. That said, this is AU. I try not to get too involved in the main plots of the series, but if I do, I'll try not to mangle them. You have my word!

Just to clarify, for just this chapter (well, prologue), the speaking will be plain text with no quotation marks, and description in italics and present tense. Mental speaking (picture Ichigo talking with Zangetsu, or Naruto with Kyuubi) is in italics, with Sangredo being bolded. Just 'cause he's special. Everything else past this will be a bit more conservative. :P Erm, read and review? I'm extremely nervous at putting this up on , primarily because it 1) is a crossover, which people tend to look down on, 2) is incredibly complicated at times, due to me editing it in my head, 3) has a rather powerful, original character as its protagonist, and finally 4) has been my insanity drived daydream for three years. It was originally spawned of my obsession for Sesshomaru, and I decided to pull a self-insert into the Inuyasha plot, gloat for a few days and then forget it. This is the result:

**Disclaimer: **I do not claim the works of any of the series mentioned in this story. That said, if I did, I'd probably turn this into a manga and an anime. :D But I don't, which is good, because I suck at drawing anyway.

--

_"Sometimes, when your struggles mean nothing against the greater darkness, you must accept the darkness in your own heart."_

--

_Movement, flickers of__ sound and colour traveling to the peak. An ironic name for this place: Mountain of the Divine Wind. And she is so, so far from divine, it amuses her even now. She had been in the service of one who wanted to be as a god, and one who longed for the immortality of a divine being. She would have, if her birth had been normal, and the circumstances been different, become a god of sorts in her own right. As it is, the name of this place haunts her, keeps her from consigning her memories to those who would be all too willing to take them. The movement comes closer; she decides to speak, hearing her voice for the first time in a while. _

So, someone has found me. Finally; I would have thought I had left enough clues already for you mortals. What? You don't know who I am? So you're just some idiot who decided to climb the Mountain of the Divine Wind? Heh. I would applaud your foolish bravado if I had hands, and if I had ever wanted to praise a human. Don't go calling me a god or spirit either; I'm not. What am I, then? Well, I suppose it's difficult to speak to a swirling tempest, and it takes too much energy to talk like this anyway. So, lucky you, you get to see me manifest. Behold a sight that hasn't been seen for nearly a thousand years. If anyone tells you different, don't listen to him; he's a pompous idiot that likes to gloat over having a better grasp of numbers than I do. Where was I? Oh yes, manifesting.

_An overwhelming surge of feeling: sense__s, not remembered until now, awakening at last, as the body is formed. A familiar one and the one she had worn most recently, if not the one _he _would look favourably on. Light blue fur, stained with white, flame-mark patterns that glow and then fade into invisibility, before glowing once more. A roughly canine shape, slender and lightly built, with her head reaching to an average human's shoulders. A crystalline horn, translucent and a slightly darker shade of blue than her fur, with tendrils of what looks like bone wrapping around it. A ring of bone encircles her neck, while on each paw, a spiral, seemingly of the self-same bone loops around, ending with a spike jutting out to the outer side. Gold eyes; the exact same shade as the eyes of the one who she had once willingly called her brother. More bone 'ornaments': a row of small spikes jutting out from her spine and two long, thin spikes that extend from her neck and follow her jaw line, to taper at her muzzle. The most important, perhaps: a faded scar on her left shoulder, nearly obscured by her fur._

_Such strange things have happened to her when she had been changed like this. Perhaps the reason _he _hated it so was because he could not change so much, to be equal with her once more. And she just represents a symbol of what he must leave behind to become truly _daiyokai; _a demon lord. Let him build his empire alone, then. She would ignore the stinging of guilt if not for a peculiar promise she had made so, so long ago. In a place where everything was white under the eternal night sky. _

What's that weird look you're giving me? I'm not impressive enough? Go to hell. Or rather, I've been there, so perhaps it is best not to broach that. Leave if you think you're old enough to comment on my appearance, youngling. If you thought I'd be larger, guess again. I am not a god, not a demon, not anything you can care to name. What I am is an outcast. I am the wind; not a wind spirit, god or whatever else, the _wind_. As in, the pure essence of it. I am... a number of things. Rather dizzying to list them all. On a side note, being small is better than being so massive that your shadow swamps the land. The self-same pompous idiot also had a true form that was immense. So, he had to squeeze all his energy into a pathetic humanoid form so he wouldn't step on me. See? I have no problems with that sort of thing.

_She is rambling; she knows this, but feels she has the right to after to many years. __She feels velvety wings enfold her, though nothing can be seen. It is something she had become quite familiar with in the past. She cuts off abruptly and half-closes her eyes. A voice, someone she has not heard for a long, long time, echoes in her head._

"_**Well, well, Suicune. It's been a while, hasn't it? I almost thought you've forgotten how to manifest. A nice choice of form by the way... Are you still mad at him for rejecting you like that?" **_

"_Shut up, Sangredo. You know how I stand on that: don't even mention him."_

"_**Yet you think of him all the time, don't you? You know, I could kill him for you, if you wish. Better to have peace than be in turmoil, as delicious as your rage is."**__He was her sin, and inexplicably, one of her saviours when she had been determined to die and take her most-recent captor with her. Even older than she was, and a fount of information, whether she wanted it or not. She owed much to him, and perhaps he was the reason she could still keep going. Strange to think of someone who hitched a ride in her body and fed on her emotions as fond of her, but it was the truth. A truth she had tried to shy away from back in – _

"_**Dwelling in your thoughts again? A bad habit when you're entertaining guests. Go and kick him off your territory, if you like. Or..."**_

"_Or what?" A chuckle in her mind – she _felt _him grinning. "Bastard."_

"_**Or you could tell your tale already. It's high time; only I know it, after all, and I'm **_**you**_**. You might as well stop sulking about being left alone like this: he knows you are up here, but he's too afraid to come. Or he doesn't care. So why don't you indulge in some old-fashioned story telling? If you don't like the human's reaction, you can always kill him later."**__ His grin widened, even though it was obscured by the mask. __**"I even thought of a perfect name!"**_

_She was dreading this. "...What is it?"_

"_**Dark Hurricane, of course. Isn't it fitting?"**_

_She snarled at him, baring her fangs in a gesture that she hadn't done in far too long. "One day I'll go into a coma, find you, and rip you into pieces!"_

"_**But I'm so much more powerful; it'd be quite difficult. Besides, it wouldn't change what you've gone through, after all. Which is why the name. Water and wind; that's a hurricane, of course. And you've been tainted by **__**darkness, so only an idiot would ever even consider you pure. No wonder you lost the ability to clean water."**_

"_Thank you for the compliment, oh great devourer of light. Might I remind you that I am your superior, as you were once human? Then your soul was left there, and you turned into a lowly mindless beast."_

"_**That was so long ago, **_**I **_**forgot it. Besides, I am only your inferior if you apply demonic thinking, and neither of us are demons. No rummaging through my memories, Suicune-san!"**_

"_Hmph__, - san now? What's with the honorific all of a sudden? Are you trying to win me over?"_

"_**... Who said I was trying to win you over? Now, what parts are you planning on omitting?"**_

"_Who said I was going to omit anything?"_

"_**The sudden spike of guilt and shame. Quite delicious, but not enough to expand your power. Maybe we should search for one of the remnants from Sound, so you can grow in strength?" **_

"_Shut up about that! They're all dead anyway."_

"_**I suppose so... So you're going to omit Sound? And him? What about me?"**_

"_Sure, why not? You're a pain as it is."_

"_**No fair! I'm one of the most important things that has happened to you! If you omit all three, there won't be much of a story left to tell!"**_

"_Exactly."_

"_**So we've decided that you are going to tell the story, and now I'm just trying to prevent you from killing all the details."**_

_He has her trapped with that, and she already knows he'll force her to tell the whole thing. He's a part of her, and they are both cursedly stubborn. "Bastard. Did I ever tell you how much I prefer you to Fuego?" _

"_**No, but I sensed it. Mmm, your gratitude sure tastes sweet..."**_

"_Shut up and stop distracting me so I can begin." she grumbles, and feels him wrap her in his wings. The human in front of her becomes hazy, as if she's seeing him through smoke. Sangredo's support, and calm confidence is enough to give her the courage to begin, __starting with the simplest statement she could think of._

Like I said, I was an outcast. Now, mortal, you have a choice: listen to my tale, or get thrown all the way down this mountain, where I'll have the pleasure of watching you splat like an insect.

"_**Oh, very diplomatic. Listen or die? It's so like you I'm surprised that he doesn't feel it from wherever he is at the moment. The scar's not totally burned away, right?"**_

"_Just be silent, or I'll give my emotions to _them!_"_

"_**You know that's not fair." **__he whines, but she can sense his amusement. __**"It's good to have you back in the real world, little sister."**__ He does finally fall silent, and she lets him feel her rush of strained affection; and shame. The one who had always been beside her before, her brother, in a way, had never called her that. Finally, she hears the human in front of her say something, and she is forced back from her thoughts. _

What was that? You'll stay? Excellent. Somehow, I just knew you would pick that option. I believe everything started with a well...

**AN: **There, prologue done. And I do know that it makes it all mysterious and confusing, but that's my aim. :D Anyway, things might start making sense in a few (long) chapters, but right now, if you aren't me, it'll be very hard to determine just what the whole prologue was about. Anyway, a virtual cookie each to the first five people who guess right which four popular series I'm going to use for this! XD Here are some hints:

1. - Rather obvious; look at the main character's name and you've got it. Especially considering what my previous fanfictions are about? Also, the first paragraph might give a tiny nudge.

2. - Mentioning the well, an arrogant guy with gold eyes and an immense 'true form'.

3. - The (capitalized) name of a place from this series. Known for a very ruthless and, quite frankly, evil at its best (or worst) leader. Also hinted at in the first paragraph, mentioning that same leader.

4. - Rather subtle, this time. Sangredo is... something that's supposed to be evil. Poor Suicune's got all that random bone on her head because of him. Also him being turned into "a lowly mindless beast" a long time ago. Also mentioned in the first paragraph, someone with a god complex?


	2. Chapter 1: Clouds and Fog

**AN: Well, took me a very long while to write out this chapter, but it's finally done! =D Muahaha, I have defeated thee, homework. Anyways, this was quite hard to write because Suicune when she's young is so... bland. She isn't bitter, cynical or as unpredictable as she is when she's older. -_- I can't wait until I get to the later parts. But! I will enjoy the next chapter. :P To avoid spoiling a lot of things now, this note will continue at the end...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the series mentioned in here. Though I claim this version of Suicune as a figment of my deranged mind. :D**

Chapter 1 - Clouds and Fog

--

"_Beauty, grace, purity. It is what you _should_ stand for, and what you are not."_

--

She had always liked fog. There was something about the way it wrapped everything up, sheltering it from the harsh sight of the world. It looked so _soft_; she wanted to sprawl in it, but just like the clouds, it was unreachable. Everything, in those days, was wrapped in fog: the land seemed to be swathed in vast, draping curtains of it, and it billowed around constantly. The only things Suicune remembered clearly were the well and the few snatches of conversation she had heard. They - her family - talked often when they thought she was asleep.

"All this fog is no accident. It's _her _fault; …shouldn't have a child, and this just proves it." It was only half-remembered, a harsh voice that had been scathing, even when cautiously kept quiet. "Too much wind power, and so many _flaws_." The rest was muffled, and Suicune tried to dismiss it. Words had an irritating ability of coming back and nagging, no matter how much she had wanted to forget it.

Days passed, with clouded skies and nights with no moon. She felt like she was always moving through fog, not quite understanding what was going on around her. Nothing seemed important enough to penetrate it - except for the well. She wasn't supposed to go near it - a sure way to get her to try and get as close as possible. It was on a hill, and the only place that wasn't blanketed in fog. The sky was still clouded, but the air was clear, not as damp. She knew the perfect way to sneak as close as possible, and her brothers had never suspected where she had disappeared to.

The well wasn't supposed to have any water in it, but she _felt _something pull at her when she was close by. Of course, if one of the elders caught her on her prowls to look into it, she would have been sentenced to a few weeks of having her brothers guard her constantly. They were all busy, though. Someone called… Lugia? Had been called on, but this mysterious person had never shown up, and when she had asked about him, all she had gotten was a glare. Something was wrong, apparently, but she wasn't told anything. She was too _young_, too inexperienced, and too much of a nuisance.

There was nothing to separate one day from the other. Nothing changed. The fog seemed to have become permanent; her family seemed rather troubled and was eerily silent around her, and the well continued to draw her. And then the sun came.

Entei had taken the time to stop her the day before and explain that someone called Ho-oh was coming, and that he was very important, and to be very polite. When she had asked why, he had launched into a longwinded explanation about how the sun, rainbows and Ho-oh were connected, and all that Suicune gathered from the whole speech was that Ho-oh could fly and use fire. With her usual attentiveness, five minutes later she was sneaking over to the well, completely forgetting everything but the attraction of a forbidden place.

So by now, aimlessly walking around while she debated whether to see if Raikou had enough time to play with her, she found herself dwelling on the well again. She didn't dare ask Entei or her mother about it - she didn't know how her mother would react, but Entei would probably guard her constantly to make sure she didn't fall in, all the while telling her how dangerous it was. A sudden gust of wind made her look up, confused by how _warm _it felt. Only to stare into the eyes of a giant, rainbow-coloured bird.

"So, you're the one." it said, landing softly on the grass. The fog started to dissipate around it, and the air became dry. Looking her over, it ruffled its feathers. "Well, they were right. You hardly look like your mother."

She blinked, unsure of how to take this sudden information. " I don't?"

The bird made an odd sound that could have been a laugh. "What sort of lies did they tell you, little one? Mew _told _your mother not to try and hide it - but there you have it. The over-protectiveness unique to parents."

This was all rather confusing, but she managed to grasp that he thought that her mother had lied to her. That was enough to make her seethe, and Suicune drew herself up angrily. "She doesn't lie! I don't know who you are, but if you think you can just say she's _lying_, you're so mean! Leave me alone!" The bird stepped back and tilted its head, the feathers on its back ruffling. She flinched back at the stern look in its - no, his - eyes.

"Do you _thi_ -" he began and then stopped, lifting his head to stare at something behind her.

"Oh, Mew, she yelled at him! Did you forget to tell her, Entei?" She felt a wave of heat as Entei stalked up to her, looking simply furious. Before she could protest, he picked her up in his jaws and carried her away from the bird.

Behind her, she could hear Raikou apologizing, "I'm so sorry, we lost track of where she was - she's usually not so independent. We were dealing with the fog and -" He sighed - her brother was always so energetic, so _lively_. What was wrong? "Ho-oh, I just feel so sorry for her…" Ho-oh, why was that name so familiar?

Ho-oh sounded irritated - his voice was curt. "Keep a better watch on her! She's not even supposed to be alive. Too powerful, with no control. Besides that, she's deformed. No one would respect her if she succeeded Suicune." Entei dropped her on the ground and was telling her something, but Ho-oh's words resounded in her mind.

_Deformed? _She knew what it meant, but why was Ho-oh calling _her_… Oh no. Those quiet conversations in the dead of night, the pitying looks from Raikou, and the awkward silence whenever she asked about when she'd grow those white ribbons, and that billowing cloud… The answer was obvious: never. They had all lied to her - her mother, Entei, Raikou… _She's not supposed to be alive. _They had _lied_. There was nothing else to do: Suicune ran. She felt another wave of heat, saw a stream of fire try to block her way. The fog convulsed, shrinking away from the flames, but she jumped over them.

"No! Entei, don't do that, you could hurt her -" Raikou yelled, his voice surprisingly close. She didn't dare look back, but she knew he was gaining on her. He could paralyze her, make her slow down until he caught up, and take her back. That wasn't _fair_ - she wasn't going to go back, not now.

"No, don't follow her. Where could she go? Besides, it's not like we really need her. Why would the world want something that has no control at all? Let her go." Ho-oh commanded, sounding aloof and altogether uncaring. That was it: they didn't care. They had lied to her, and didn't care that she was trying to run away… The pounding of Raikou's paws faded, and she found herself alone as the fog rolled over everything once more. If they didn't want her here, if they felt she shouldn't be alive, then she'd leave! The path she took was the same as the one she had trodden nearly every day, and soon the well appeared amidst the murk. She trotted up and looked into its depths. There was a gleam of water: so calm, so distant… Suicune wasn't sure how it happened, but she was suddenly leaning over and craning her head to get a better look. It almost felt like something was pulling her, but that was impossible, right?

As she looked down, the water seemed to disappear. The sides of the well glowed a soft blue, and the pulling became much stronger. Everything slowed down, as if time was pushing at her to go into the well. Without really noticing, she let herself tumble in. The blue light was so pretty, almost as soft and inviting as the fog had been. Suicune didn't really notice for how long she had been falling, because there seemed to be no end: just the rush of air as she dropped, and the continuous glow. It was so calm, and peaceful. No secrets, no lies. She started to doze, lulled by the light and the silence, when she crashed into the bottom.

Suicune gasped, shaking her head slowly to try and chase away the flickers of light that kept blinding her. Her side blazed with pain, and she staggered as she got up. Everything was spinning… Why was the well so hard and dry? Shouldn't there have been water? Looking around, she winced. The well's walls surrounded her but there were shallow steps set into one side. It was so bright - not just from the dancing lights in front of her eyes, but the beams of sunlight that were streaming into the well. How strange: she hadn't seen the sun for so long.

The steps proved difficult. She could barely fit her two paws onto one, and even though it curved upward, Suicune found herself getting quite a few lessons on how to fall. There was nothing else for her to do but climb, and the sky was different from the one she knew. There were no clouds, from the little patch that she could see, and the sun was so _bright_. Had Ho-oh gotten angry and chased the clouds away? Once she reached the top of the well and had clambered out, though, she found a quite different scene awaiting her. Buildings, like the ones she had occasionally seen humans build, surrounded her. But they were devoured by flames, and all that was left were black skeletons beneath the fire. The wind, as it blew ashes into her eyes, was hot, and Suicune flinched back. This was all wrong!

"Hmph. So there's one left." someone remarked. She had never heard anything like that voice: not cold or stern like Ho-oh's, or angry, or _anything_. It was void. This person didn't feel anything at all… The speaker stepped out of the fire, golden eyes indifferent as they looked off to the right. He wore strange, billowing versions of the flat cloth that humans usually had, and his hair was silver. His odd features were nothing compared to what Suicune felt, though. He truly didn't care about anything around him, and it was scary. "You vermin enjoy finding places to hide." the stranger remarked and raised a hand. It began to glow ominously.

Suicune looked over at who he was speaking to, though she felt like she was trapped in the fog again - her legs didn't want to move, to run away. She couldn't even warn the victim: another human, but this one had ragged strips left of the flat fur, and was covered with burns. Wait - was that _blood_? She just watched, stunned as a whip of light lashed out from the stranger's hand and hit the whimpering human. There was more blood, filling the air with its reek and making her close her eyes, cringing. A metallic sound made her open her eyes once more, and she stared up at a long, curved metal claw that was pointed threateningly at her. "You," the other said calmly, as if he wasn't preparing to kill her, "are a scavenger. Have you come for the easy prey here?" His eyes narrowed. "Such lowly, mindless creatures are unnecessary." And the claw swung down.

**AN (cont.): So, the curved metal claw thing is a sword. Just to let you know... :P Well, the contest I mistakenly put up is definitely off, because it's obvious what the first (and second) series are by now. See that review button down there? I'd be very happy if someone clicked it... **


	3. Chapter 2: Demon's Blood

**AN: Again, took me a long time, because Open Office deleted the finished version whilst my computer was spazzing, but! It is done. Yayyyy. I paid a visit to the coast, and got loads of inspiration so, gasp, I actually have chapters pre-written! I'm lazy, though, so they will be published gradually while I try to find errors, and keep writing chapter 2 of legend's Rage. Damn my eloquence, I feel a need to make chapters as long as humanly possible. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any series mentioned in here. Suicune - this version - is mine, though. **

Chapter 2 - Blood of the Demon

--

"_Emotions are for lesser beings who live in fear of death, and live short, meaningless lives. Fear is for the weak: hatred makes you strong, anger lends you purpose. The others are mere words, fables that do not concern us."_

--

The voices were what woke her. She was only confused for a moment, as the memories rushed back. Pain from her burned fur, as she had stumbled into one of the flaming buildings, and from the long cuts on her side… Suicune had been helpless to protect herself, to keep away death. And yet, she was alive. The voices in the background sharpened, and she struggled not to gasp for breath, paralyzed by fear. _He _was there. Her attacker, the one who had come so close… Reflexively, she closed her eyes and did her best to look unconscious. He couldn't notice her, she wasn't here, she was just another corpse…

"I don't see why you had to take this souvenir of your great triumph. It was just another scavenger, another body to be disposed of. I do not need a reminder of how easily you can kill an imp." Suicune was confused - who was he talking about? And who was this, anyway? It wasn't her attacker - this one sounded younger, more proud.

"It wasn't that. Besides, it isn't dead. Not yet." _That _was him, but he was much less cold than she seemed to remember…

"Do not tell me you felt pity for something like this? It has as much use as a human - and it's as easy to kill. If you will not take care of it…" The sound of footsteps. Suicune couldn't have moved; not only because of her (now failed) ruse, but because of icy fear. He was going to kill her, and she was going to die, and she would never see her family again!

The thought of closing her eyes, however, was almost as appalling as _seeing _her last moments, and she slowly looked up - and then wished she hadn't. The cold gold eyes gazing down at her were even worse than before. She could barely notice the little details that her own eyes drifted towards - a blue crescent on his forehead, two reddish stripes… It didn't _matter _what he looked like - he was going to kill her, and she almost closed her eyes again. Would it hurt? There was a soft sound, almost like a breeze without the rush of air, and she tried to brace herself for the coming blow.

"Father." She inadvertently looked up at her would-be killer and flinched at the sight of an outstretched hand, glowing a sickly green. Why wasn't she dead? Why had this red-striped person hesitated? "Do not tell me you are having a fit of mercy. This wretch is hardly useful." The hand gestured to her and she shrank back from it, terrified. Now, though, she could see that the one she had seen earlier, the older one, was holding the other back. But… how had he gotten there so quickly?

"Hardly, Sesshomaru. This… wretch, as you call it, might be more powerful than I thought at first. Tell me, the nuisances that prey on our borders -"

"_Your _borders, you mean. Until I defeat you." The one with red stripes - Sesshomaru? - pointed out calmly.

"Yes, until you defeat me. Though you are not capable of that sort of power - _yet _- you are already too powerful to bother with the annoyances that plague my territory. So, why not have something weaker to take care of the small oni and their ilk? Easier than wasting your power - or mine." the older one continued. They had to be father and son - the same eyes, the same sort of face. They even had strange pointed ears! Suicune couldn't ever remember any humans with anything but rounded ones… Not that she had been allowed to get close enough to see, but the occasional walk had brought her near a few when Entei wasn't hovering nearby.

_Entei… _Would she ever see him again? Or Raikou? Or her mother, for that matter? There was a painful twinge in her heart, not from any of her wounds. They all hurt, but not like this… The conversation continued, and she tried to focus on what they were saying, but it was hard when all she could think of was her family. Finally forcing herself to listen to them, she felt the now-familiar jolt of fear as they both turned to look at her.

"It wouldn't be intelligent enough to serve that purpose. It hasn't said a word yet." Sesshomaru said dismissively.

"Perhaps it's frightened, then. Nearly being killed twice tends to terrify most.", his father retorted, still not even looking at her.

"If it feels fear, then it is even more useless. A demon that feels fear is weak." _Now _he looked at her with those cuttingly cold eyes, as if studying her worth. Suicune shrank away from his gaze, feeling pathetic. What was all this about 'demons'? What _were_ demons anyway? "So, imp, can you speak, or are you mute as well as simple-minded?" he asked her.

Now was the time - maybe talking would keep her from being killed… "I - I can talk!", she yelped, hearing her voice waver. She would have said more, but Sesshomaru's father let go of him and stepped forward. She, predictably, cut off and tried to stay away from him, but it only resulted in her whimpering and trying to edge backwards without much success.

"It talks. Without moving its mouth.", the father observed, eyeing her with more interest now. "And it sounds female." She couldn't imagine why they were surprised - everyone she knew spoke like that. Was moving your mouth in such odd ways really necessary? Still, they seemed to find it strange.

Sesshomaru looked unconvinced. "So it speaks. What does that change? There is no proof it is strong enough to live a month, if you do put it to use." His father seemed prepared for this sort of statement, though, and only raised an eyebrow.

"_She _will live past a month, or even a year, if she is trained." He looked expectantly at his son, and Suicune sagged in relief. They weren't focusing on her so much as each other, which had to be good.

If possible, Sesshomaru's voice became even flatter than before. "Trained? And I suppose, since you are intent on expanding the territory, it is _my _task to care for this worthless thing?"

"Of course. I also hope you won't decide to accidentally lose control of yourself and kill her," he retorted mildly. "Or then you would have to find a replacement by yourself, and since you see no value in most yokai weaker than us, it would be quite a task." They were staring at each other, and Suicune wanted to dig a hole in the ground and hide in it. Of all things, why did they have to argue about _her? _Both of them scared her equally - she didn't want to be 'trained', whatever that meant. She wanted to go back to her mother and Raikou and Entei…

"Very well. But do not hold me responsible if one of the demons she is supposed to eliminate kills her instead," Sesshomaru said at last, turning away. "I will start the training once she heals." She wasn't sure how, but he somehow _disappeared, _as if he had never been there in the first place. The father didn't do the same, however, and only crouched to look at her. Suicune had to resist the urge to curl up in a ball and pretend that all this didn't exist.

"You're quite small, aren't you? You do look just like a normal imp," he said calmly. "No wonder Sesshomaru thinks you are useless. Perhaps he didn't notice though…" She continued to stare at him, wide-eyed. "I'm not going to kill you, you know, so you can stop looking terrified. Even he has to see that you have some sort of power. Otherwise, you would have had the same fate as this village." He gestured at the still-smoking ruins around them, and to the piles of bodies that she had been trying to avoid looking at. "Weaklings and worthless beings are killed. You are not worthless. Not yet, anyway. We will see."

Suicune felt even worse when he said that. What did he want? What made her so useful to him at this moment, but could make her worthless the next? Her confusion and fear must have showed, because he _laughed_, and it was the worst sound she had heard. There wasn't any real amusement in it at all. It seemed, in its own way, as dangerous as the sound when he had drawn his weapon to kill her. "I suppose if you don't heal quickly Sesshomaru will injure you so that you bleed to death," he remarked. "So, here." He turned, grabbed one of the bodies, and as calmly as if he had been ripping apart a leaf, tore an arm off and tossed it. She inched away from it - it was spattered with blood, and the smell made her want to throw up. The other watched her with amusement at first, but once she obviously refused to touch it, his eyes narrowed.

"Why won't you eat?" he demanded, obviously expecting an answer.

She resisted the urge to whimper and tried to keep from looking at him. His eyes frightened her so much… "It smells bad." She spoke so softly, she doubted he would hear, but his hearing seemed as good as her own.

"Oh? Well, it _is _human, but there are no other yokai around that you could have instead. If you don't eat something, you'll lose what little strength you have." He smiled, which only made her even more terrified of him. "And, if you refuse to eat, I will stuff it down your throat." She couldn't do anything _but _eat it then, and after a long deliberation on how to go about it, she squeezed her eyes shut and took a bite.

She wanted to spit it back out - the taste of the blood was horrible, and she couldn't taste anything else. After a struggle, she managed to swallow it, but another look at her 'meal' made her nearly give up. The fact that he was watching her, though, forced her to continue. It was gruesome, and Suicune couldn't imagine anyone ever _liking _something like that. Didn't they have any Berries around that she could eat instead? What had he said about what she was eating? That it couldn't taste good since it was human? That made little sense to her. The things he kept mentioning as well - demons, and _yokai_, whatever they meant - were confusing.

He watched her with narrowed eyes, smiling as she choked her way through the meat. After a few minutes, he sighed and tugged the remnants away from her. She wasn't about to protest – her stomach roiled and she wanted to lick her fur clean of the horrible blood. "Sleep now," he ordered her. "I didn't hurt you too badly; you'll be fit by the time you wake up." He continued to smile at her until she curled up, wishing that everything didn't ache so much. She closed her eyes and heard him move away. It was true, she was tired, but she felt so sickened and confused…. When Suicune was sure that he was gone, she got to her feet and threw up. It didn't make her feel much better, and now she was both tired _and _hungry.

Now that there were no distractions, there was nothing to keep her from feeling alone. She could see the sky, and it was beautiful in its frightening clarity. She could see stars, and a moon – things she had only seen as sources of light behind clouds. Yet… the sky was different from the sky she knew. The land was different from what she knew. Where was her family? Where was _she_?

**AN again: So. Sesshomaru is way too much fun to write when he's being an arrogant, selfish, cold bastard. Which he stays for a very large part of this, so yay! =D Alas, the awesomeness that is Inu no Taisho/Taichou/whatever the hell his name is does not make much of an appearance for a while. Which is sad. But I get to write lots of Sesshomaru. Which is good. Anyways, this happens long before the timeline of Inuyasha - Inuyasha hasn't even been conceived yet, Sesshomaru is younger and humans are less abundant. I'm also pleased with Suicune being less of a blank space with just a name, but I haven't really described her. At all. Which I am kicking myself for, but whatever! Reviews, please? I would like to know if this is utter crap or not.**


	4. Chapter 3: Decision

**AN: **Gasp. I managed to avoid killing myself while trying to keep a reasonable time between updating... Meh. I hate lack of sleep. I really should get to writing Legend's Rage Chapter 3, and Dark Hurricane's fifth chapter, and I really want to kill off a certain character... But I am tired. So my muse has poofed off to gnaw on someone else's brain. Which somehow prevented me from uploading this. Blahblahblah. Sesshomaru is a cruel bastard in this, and he remains so for... a while, because this is set before the events of the manga and anime, and I also find it fun to write him. x3 He gets fun dialogue.

Um... anyways, I feel kind of guilty for lobbing so much onto my own character. Suicune's cute when she's little. :P She gets all cruel and apathetic when she grows up, so it's fine to torture her then, but now, I start getting twinges of my conscience kicking in. Not fair. Yeah... enjoy, and leave a review? Please? I'd like to know if this deserves to be taken off or not. XD

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the series mentioned here. Woot. I wish I did.

Chapter Three – Decision

_--_

"_Tell me; is trust so important to you? Trusting in someone only opens the way to emotions and betrayal."_

_--_

The sun hurt her eyes when she woke up. It didn't make the village look any better, but there were no bodies left. Suicune was relieved at first, but when she began to actually look at the ground, she saw odd tracks – claws, hooves, weird shapes that didn't even seem to be possible. A lot of… something had come and… taken the bodies away? Eaten them? The warm sun suddenly seemed too far to keep away the fear. This was nothing like home. She had gotten here, wherever here was, because of that well. It wasn't far from here. Maybe, if she went back to it, she would be taken home?

The well stood in the distance, and her heart rose at the sight of it. Her legs twinged as she sped up, stumbling over the uneven ground. It was so _close_ – just a few steps away…

"Running away, whelp?" She skidded to a stop, hope turning to fear. _He _was here, the one who had wanted to kill her. His voice was as cold as before, as if she didn't matter at all to him. "And after all the generosity my father showed you…" There was a bite to his words that made her think he wasn't happy at all.

"I – I needed to…" Her voice trailed off as she turned around and saw him staring at her with that same unemotional expression.

"I will weaken a yokai and bring it to you so you can finish it off," he informed her, not paying any attention to what she had been trying to say. "I suggest you show some shred of power beyond charming my father into believing you are useful." With that, he turned and strode away, leaving her rooted to the ground. She _still _didn't know what a yokai was, but that wasn't what was making her tremble. Kill. She had to kill something. She knew what death was, of course – some Pokemon died. _Killing _was very different from dying, though, and she had no idea what to do. He had left her alone… she could run for the well now. There was something wrong, though. It wasn't pulling at her like she remembered. Wasn't it supposed to glow too?

Suicune turned back to the well and took a tentative step forward. It didn't glow. Another step – still nothing. Now for another….

There was a roar. She had never heard anything like it before – so _angry_. It made her freeze up, but she could see out of the corner of her eye what was going on, and that made it even worse. Something large was rushing at her from the side. There was too much to look at: the blood from long, raking wounds on its back and sides, the vicious claws and fangs, the thrashing tail and the red, red eyes that were staring at her….

She was going to die. What could she do? Even moving to run, she was too slow. She had no way to fight. She was going to die here, without her family, without knowing where she was….

The monster slowed down, but it was still too fast for her to escape. It roared again, and then fell over. She stared at it, expecting it to suddenly jump up and come after her again. It shuddered, making her flinch back. It was alive, so why wasn't it getting up again? Suicune backed up, bumping into the well and then carefully scooting around it. The monster didn't move again, and she kept looking at it, afraid that it would move if she looked away….

"Oh, I thought it was stronger than that," Sesshomaru remarked, appearing so suddenly that she jumped. "What a shame. Since what was supposed to be your prey is dead, it seems that _I _will have to be your opponent." His robes billowed as he approached, one hand raised. She found herself staring at it. Humans always had blunt nails, but for some reason, his looked exactly like claws. Long, sharp claws. Her mind couldn't seem to keep up with what he had said. The monster was dead? It suddenly hit her – he was going to kill her. The terror returned full force, and she froze again.

"But – but your father said you couldn't," she stammered, trying to look at anything except those claws.

"Don't be foolish. I'm not going to kill you." Somehow, she didn't believe him. He didn't look or sound angry, or even interested in what he was doing, but something in her shrank away from his cold stare. He was coming closer. A few more steps and she would be in range… Something other than fear welled up inside her. She suddenly felt tired and, slowly, she looked back at the threatening hand. It was beginning to glow, the light from it a sickly green. Would it hurt if he attacked her? She had never been in a fight before….

She squeezed her eyes shut, wishing it would just happen so she could stop feeling so scared and tired and sick…. Silence. Nothing hit her. Something was dripping – she could hear the faint sound of drops hitting the ground. Suicune waited longer, and still nothing happened. She opened her eyes.

Sesshomaru was so close he could have reached out and touched her, but she was no longer the focus of his attention. She followed his gaze and stared at his hand. This time, rather than just fear, she felt shock. His hand… it was bleeding. _That _was what had been dripping – blood was running down his palm and falling to the ground. He continued to look at his hand, and then up at her. For once, she wasn't frozen with terror, and she found the strength to turn and run away from him. If he hadn't been planning to kill her before, he was definitely going to now.

She hadn't gotten very far when he caught up to her. Before she could realize what was going on, he somehow flickered into sight in front of her, his injured hand grabbing her neck and lifting her. If using his hand hurt, he didn't show it, and his grip tightened until she couldn't breathe.

"I wonder," he remarked, as if not aware that he was hurting her, "how you did that. I don't suppose you'll tell me?" It hurt too much to try to answer him. Something was wrong with her eyes – she kept seeing black spots fade in and out. "So you do have some power, weak though it is. Perhaps…." His voice faded out, and the black spots spread. Her fear and pain melted away. Being hurt by Sesshomaru was no longer something to be frightened of….

Death, she decided, was coldand wet and hurt a lot. Only when she felt her legs steadily becoming numb did she realize that she wasn't dead. Suicune tried to breathe, and gulped down cold water that only made the pain worse. Before she could start flailing in an attempt to get to the surface of wherever she was, something grabbed her horn and pulled her up. She coughed violently as she finally managed to breathe in air rather than water and blinked until she saw who was holding her. She had been lifted to head-height, and was looking him straight in the eyes.

"Weren't you going to kill me?" she asked between coughs, and then regretted it as Sesshomaru scowled and dropped her onto the ground. It felt like she had bruises on top of bruises – had they all come from when she had fallen into the water?

"It would be more interesting to kill you when you provide a challenge," he intoned. "You are so weak that stepping on you would be sufficient." Hadn't she hurt him? Then again, she wasn't even sure if that had been her doing, and when she looked at his hand, it seemed perfectly fine. It couldn't have healed so quickly… had she imagined hurting him? That didn't make any sense…. Maybe it was because she was tired and hurt, but her thoughts seemed fuzzy. It was like she couldn't really focus on anything. She didn't even notice that Sesshomaru had started to walk away until he spoke again. "Follow me." When she hesitated, he snapped, "_Now, _whelp."

Even with her having four legs, she could barely keep Sesshomaru in sight, let alone walk right behind him. She was sure that he had noticed her falling behind, but she didn't think he would stop just for her sake. Suicune wasn't even sure she wanted him to notice her at all – she was afraid of him hurting her again. Her throat was bruised badly, and though not being dead was a good thing, it still hurt to breathe. She had no idea where they were going, or where they had come from. The only place she knew was the one with the well, and she didn't think she'd see it again…

She didn't understand what had just happened. She remembered the well, and him choking her…. So why had she woken up in water? Why was she alive? Not that she was complaining about being able to breathe, even if it did hurt. Would Sesshomaru answer her if she asked? She tried to catch up to him, but her legs hurt as much as the rest of her, and eventually she gave up. He was leading her into a forest, which would have been quite nice if she hadn't been tripping over roots and fallen branches that seemed to deliberately stand in her way. This time, she was sure that he had noticed, since he slowed down enough to be able to watch her stumble after him.

Suicune looked up at him when she caught him watching her and protested, "It's not funny!" He wasn't smiling or laughing openly, but why else would he be watching her?

"Indeed. It's not funny. It is pathetic," he answered, turning away and walking faster once more. She stared at his quickly retreating back, hurt by his comment. After that, she tried to avoid tripping over everything, but in doing so she slowed down so much that she lost sight of Sesshomaru and simply wandered in the direction she thought he had gone. Time passed, and she became so hungry and tired that it was hard to convince herself to move forward.

Eventually she found a small clearing in the trees and just curled up there. She didn't care where Sesshomaru was – he was mean for leaving her here, and it wasn't like he cared what would happen to her…. Maybe she would be able to find some Berries when she woke up. Even if all the trees here looked normal and green, there had to be a brightly coloured Berry tree in such a large forest. She could find her own food – she wasn't pathetic at all! At least now she was so tired from walking that she could fall asleep, even when so hungry…. She closed her eyes, wishing fervently that all the pain and loneliness would disappear like a bad dream when she woke up.

It didn't.


	5. Chapter 4: Prevailing Winds

**AN: **Been a while, hasn't it? It's my own fault, really. School, stress and the results of being stressed were not kind, though honestly, putting this up didn't require so much effort that I needed to put it off this long. Bad me. ANYWAYS! Here you go, chapter four~ The title doesn't mean anything because it was originally supposed to be something else and I eventually just slapped this on when it turned out differently than I imagined. I should go write something else now. That seems like a good idea... I need something to distract myself with before I launch into wangst about how horrible this chapter is. Grr.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any series in here. Which is good because bad things would happen if I did own them.

Chapter Four – Prevailing Winds

--

"_You put too much importance on time. We have all the time in the world, forever."_

_--_

Annoyingly enough, Sesshomaru had reappeared by the time Suicune woke up. He was sitting cross-legged nearby, looking at a tree as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world. As she stirred, he turned to look at her. "You have no endurance whatsoever." She was too groggy to even acknowledge that he had spoken. Why was he still here anyways? Couldn't he leave her alone now that he wasn't trying to kill her? "Since you seem incapable of –"

Not looking at him so she wouldn't freeze up in terror, she cut him off, "Why are you still here?" She had been trying to sound defiant and rude, but it came out as a whine despite her best efforts. His expression remained blank, though she thought she saw a flicker of amusement in his eyes. She tried again. "If you're not going to – to kill me, can you just leave? You're mean and scary."

He snorted quietly, as if what she had said was funny. "You seem to have not realized your situation, whelp. In case you have not been listening, you are _weak_. Pathetically so. And my father, in a strange mood of generosity, has decided to use you to take care of the yokai that intrude on the territory, rather than simply kill you. Thus, you must be strong enough to deal with them, which means that you need to be trained. That task has been given to me." He examined his clawed hands, clenching the one she had injured as if testing it. "I, of course, would much rather kill you than waste my time trying to teach you anything, but I have no say in what my father decides… yet."

Sesshomaru fell silent as she struggled to focus on what he had said. Nothing he was saying made sense. Why was she supposed to help him and his father? And if Sesshomaru hated her so much, why had he agreed? Her head hurt…. Still, the fact that he kept calling her 'whelp' was annoying. It wasn't her name, after all. "Why are you calling me that? My name is Suicune!"

"Your name is of no importance to me."

"But…." Did that mean that _she _wasn't important to him, then?

"Here," he said coldly, tossing something to her. It looked vaguely like meat, but smelled different from the foul arm she had been forced to eat the day before.

"What is it?" she asked, confused.

"Food. Yokai meat. Eat it." Here was her chance to ask him what 'yokai' was, but she doubted she would get an answer beyond him repeating that she should eat the meat. If anything, he seemed to be in a worse mood than he had been before.

Suicune tentatively took a bite, and blinked in surprise. It not only smelled different, but tasted better as well. It still was nothing like the food she was used to, but, for a moment she even considered liking it. That moment passed as she saw Sesshomaru smirking at her. "What you're eating now is from the one that was going to be your opponent. Do you like it?" She choked at that – what she had been eating was from the _monster_? She spat out the meat that she had been eating, feeling disgusted. Sesshomaru seemed to be amused by her reaction, which only made her feel worse.

"I wasn't going to hunt for you, and I'm sure it tastes better than human, or whatever you've been eating that kept you so weak. However, if you feel like starving yourself, by all means, do it. I'll be rid of you sooner." She stubbornly started to eat after that. It was a pointless way of defying him, since it only made her feel worse, but at least she wouldn't be hungry afterwards.

The rest of the day passed in silence. She ate, and then inched away from him and stared at the sky. Sesshomaru insulted her, left on his own to do whatever it was that he did during the day, and then came back to insult her again. In the evening, he finally stared at her and asked, "How did you attack me?"

By this time, Suicune had gotten so confused about whether she had done anything at all that it took her a while to figure out what he was saying. "I don't know."

This only made him look irritated – or at least she thought he was annoyed. It was hard to tell, going just on his eyes. "You don't know," he repeated. "Very well." The way he said it made her sound like she was stupid, which wasn't fair. After all, _he _didn't know how she had done it, so what made him think she knew?

"I… I was scared," she said lamely. "You were going to kill me."

"Indeed." He fell silent after that and left again before she went to sleep. She was hungry again, but didn't bother trying to look for food. She could do that in the morning if he was still gone. Maybe he had given up and was going to leave her alone now? That was a cheering thought.

It was much easier to relax and think about her family when Sesshomaru wasn't around. This place… even if she was alone, it was nice. The sky looked beautiful, especially the moon. She would never have seen it except behind the clouds at home. The beauty of the land and the sky was nothing to how scared she was, though. She missed her family – Entei, always watchful, and Raikou who always played with her and….

Her mother. She was also called Suicune, though no one ever told her why, so her brothers would call her 'Little Suicune' to make sure she didn't get confused. Her mother was the most beautiful Pokemon she had ever seen: her blue fur had pretty diamonds of white, and she had a flowing purple mane like a cloud on her back, and two ribbons for a tail. Her brothers had told her that she would one day grow up and have the same cloud and ribbons, but…. Ho-oh had said that they had been lying to her. That thought hurt. Her family… she missed them, but they had _lied_. All that time, they had been lying.

She looked around carefully, but Sesshomaru was nowhere to be seen. Feeling safe with the knowledge that he wasn't around to see, Suicune let herself cry. It wasn't fair – she had wanted to run away, but not run away so _far_. The well had changed everything, and now she was stuck with someone who wanted to hurt her and was mean, and no one liked her and she was scared. Eventually, her sobbing and wailing stopped, because she couldn't help feeling that Sesshomaru was around somewhere, listening.

This time, before she went to sleep, she walked around the clearing. The trees were dense, and she couldn't see much in the dark, but she could hear water not too far off. It seemed like a good idea to remember where it was, and she felt proud of herself for braving the path towards the trickling water. It turned out to be a creek, and she lapped up some water before returning. How could Sesshomaru call her pathetic? She was doing fine when he wasn't around to scare her.

The next day was cloudy, which was disappointing – she had hoped that she could see the sun and the blue sky again. However, Sesshomaru was still nowhere to be seen, which cheered her up, and Suicune spent a good deal of time wandering around the forest and looking for something to eat. She had still found no Berries, but after following some odd fluffy creatures – were they yokai? – she found some fallen nuts and ate those.

Hunger satisfied for now, she simply wandered. She felt more confident now, in the sunlight, without anyone watching her. It was still difficult to think back to what had happened before, but the thought of having powers…. Her mother had controlled water, and Raikou created sparks when he walked. Maybe she had powers too? No one had ever said anything about it, but if she really _had _hurt Sesshomaru, then she had to be able to do something!

It was quiet, and she was alone. Why not try? Suicune tried to remember what she had felt back then, but all she remembered was being scared and tired and wanting Sesshomaru to simply stop and go away. She didn't feel like that now – she felt excited and happy and adventurous for finally walking around by herself. Did it really matter how she felt, though? So she closed her eyes and focused, trying to convince herself that something was happening….

As she breathed in, she thought she smelled something familiar, but she didn't bother opening her eyes just for that.

"How pitiful. Do you really think that will work?" She jumped and turned around, instinctively looking up and then away. There was no mistaking him for his father – even if their hair was similar, he was so cold that she could hardly look at him without flinching. "You have almost no power at all, and weaklings never have any control over the little amount they have. Wishing for it to happen only wastes effort." Sesshomaru sounded almost satisfied, but she couldn't think about that now. How had he found her so quickly, when she was nowhere near where she had been last night?

"How – how did you find me?"

"You are easy to track," he replied, which wasn't really an answer. "Follow me." She didn't _want _to follow him, but she wasn't tired, and she was scared of what he would do if she didn't do what he said. Her confidence had instantly disappeared. Suicune followed him, but at least she was no longer tripping over anything. "Tell me – were you crying in the night?"

She gaped at him. "How did you know that?"

"I see. Do not show such a pathetic emotion as sorrow or regret. It won't change anything, and only weakens you." She couldn't understand that – why would she be weaker if she was sad? Why did she _want _to be strong? He still hadn't answered her question.

"Bu –"

"I do not recall telling you that you can ask questions, whelp. Be silent." He still had something else to say, because he stopped walking and turned around so suddenly that she backed up. His hand reached out, and she found herself being pulled up again by her horn. It hurt, and she whimpered as he lifted her to look at him. His voice was soft yet menacing. "In fact, whelp, I do not think you've realized: just because I cannot kill you does not mean I can't hurt you. And I _will _hurt you if you do not obey me. I couldn't care less what you do otherwise, but you will obey me." Suicune remembered her neck, still hurting from where he had choked her, and whined wordlessly. He dropped her and began to walk again, not even waiting for her to get up.

She whimpered as she got up and shook herself. Her head hurt, but that wasn't surprising. She wanted to cry very badly, but he said not to, and she really didn't want to get hurt. This place… it made no sense. Before the well, everyone had been nice to her. No one had ever called her an idiot, or hurt her, or told her that she was useless. And then the well had glowed, and she had fallen in, and everything had become scary.

"Whelp." Suicune looked up in surprise and quickly stopped walking. Had she done something wrong? He wasn't looking at her, which made it hard to guess if he was angry at her or just about to insult her again. "Are you hungry?"

The question wasn't something that she had expected, and she fumbled for what to say. Was this a trick? "Yes…?"

He snorted and began walking again, leaving her to wonder why he had asked. The path they were walking on widened, became smoother, and she stopped in surprise. The land ahead was clear of trees – there were odd plants growing everywhere, and a building in the distance. She could just barely see humans in the distance, walking around the odd plants and picking them.

"Have you ever killed a human?" The question was as sudden as the previous one, and she suddenly wished fervently that she hadn't made him angry before. What could she say? She had never killed _anything_ before. Her family, everyone she had known, had told her that killing was something bad, and that death was supposed to come in time. It wasn't even supposed to be talked about…. "Well?" He had gone from angry to uncaring again, and she couldn't tell which was worse.

She mutely shook her head, feeling sickened. He turned to look down at her once again, and this time, his expression made her seize up in fear. He was _smiling_. "Would you be ready to kill one now?" he asked, apparently not noticing that she was trembling. Suicune shook her head again, and he nodded, as if he had already known that she would refuse. "You'll be staying here from now on, whelp. When you're ready to kill, you'll be able to eat whatever you hunt down. Until then, you will eat nothing."

His words took a very long time to sink in. Her mind was still reeling from what he had said before, and this new announcement was far too much to take in at once. She was going to stay here… and starve? That made no sense. She didn't know how to kill anything, and even if she did, she would never want to! What she wanted to ask was why he was going to make her hurt someone else, but she was too afraid of his anger.

Sesshomaru was watching her with a faint smile, but after a few minutes of her sitting in silence, trying to think of some way to avoid killing anything, he turned and left. It was nice to be left alone, at first, but she soon found out that Sesshomaru leaving did not mean he couldn't come back quickly. The first time she tried to go back into the forest, he walked out, blocked her way and then stared at her menacingly until she gave up. The only other time she tried was when she was thirsty, and he pointed her to a spring close by and watched her until she returned.

The day was miserable and the night even more so. At night, it was easier for her to feel scared, and the fear of what she was going to do kept her awake most of the time. The building of the humans, not too far away, might have been inviting if she hadn't been dreading any contact with them. When the sky began to pale, she finally fell asleep, but her dreams were dark and frightening.

The dawn of the next day was bloody.


End file.
